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Meliadus of Leonois
This is a page about the father of Tristan, who is known as Tallwch, Rivalin, and Meliadus of Leonois and variations of these names in various medieval Tristan stories. Tallwch in Welsh Traditions Tallwch is given as the father of Drystan/Tristan in the Welsh Triads and in the Welsh Ystorya Trystan, but noting other than that is said about him. In Triad 73, Drystan is said to be son of March (rather than nephew of March), this either being an alternate tradition or a simple error. In the post-Arthurian section of the Pictish King List, a king named Talorcan filius Drostan is listed, which only indicates the similar names appeared historically in as son and father. Rivalin in Verse Tristan Romances The name given to Tristan’s father by Eilhart von Oberge and Thomas is Rivalin. There is perhaps some relation to a Triscan or Tristan who was lord of Vitré in Brittany, quarrelled with the Duke of Brittany and was son of a lord named Rivalon or Rivelon. Either Rivalon/Rivelon may have named his son from the Tristan poems or the name of Tristan’s father in the poems may comes from this historical Rivalon/Rivelon. See Loomis (1960, pp. 577–78). Rivalin in the Continental Folk Tristan Tradition Continental versions of the folk tradition of the Tristan story are fragmentary and do not cover the early part of Tristan’s tale, save for the Tristrant of Eilhart von Oberge known only through fragments and later retellings. According to Eilhart, Rivalin was King of “Lohenois” (Lothian) who came to aid King Mark of Cornwall in Mark’s war against an unnamed King of Ireland because Rivalin wished to gain Mark’s sister, Blankeflur (‘White-flower’) as his wife. Rivalin was wounded in battle, obtained Blankeflur’s love, and Blankeflur, with child by Rivalin, left with Rivalin for Lohenois when the war came to an end. But Blankeflur fell ill on the voyage to Lohenois and died at sea and her son was cut alive from her dead body. The son is named Tristrant (Tristan) and given to a squire named Kurneval (Governal). When Tristrant becomes older, Governal suggests that Tristan ought to seek experience in foreign lands. Tristan requests his father Rivalin to allow this. Rivalin agrees. Tristan sets out in a ship, accompanied by Kurwenal, eight squires and two noblemen. They arrive in Cornwall. Tristan keeps his identity secret until Tristan comes to fight his duel with the Morholt. It is not told, in the tale, that Tristan ever returned home to Lohenois to visit is father. A messenger comes to Tristan, when Tristan is living in Little Britain with his wife Yseult White-hands, and tells Tristan that his father has died and that many princes of the land now wish to be king, but that Tristan’s own kinsmen oppose them and want Tristan to rule them. Tristan wishes to make Governal ruler of Lohenois instead. Tristan returns to Lohenois and sets things in order. After remaining there for two years, Tristan turns the rulership of Lohenois over to Governal and returns to Little Britain. Rivalin in the Continental Courtly Tristan Tradition The early sections of the French romance of Tristan by Thomas have not survived. But in the expanded German translation by Gottfried von Strassburg Tristan’s father’s name is Rivalin, surnamed, Canelengres, from his castle Canoel. The English Sir Tristrem, based on Thomas’ version names the father as Rouland or Rouland Riis, the meaning of “Riis” being unknown, unless it be French reis (‘king’). The Old Norse abridged adaptation, Tristrams Saga ok Ísöndar, names him throughout as Kanelengres. All three adaptations tell the same tale, close enough. Rivalin is lord of his own land, called Armenie or Ermenie, a form sometimes found for Armorica (Little Britain). Rivalin also holds a separate fief from a Breton duke named Morgan. Rivalin wars against his lord, Duke Morgan. At last a truce for one year is agreed on between them. (As given above this may reflect the historic Triscan/Tristan son of Rivalon/Rivelon who was lord of Vitré in Brittany and quarreled with the Duke of Brittany.) Then Rivalin goes to England, where King Mark, originally just King of Cornwall, rules. Rivalin brings only twelve companions with him, leaving Ermenie under the rule of his marshal Rual the Faithful. Rivalin takes service under King Mark. Mark holds a great tournament at which Rivalin performs wonders and wins the heart of King Mark’s sister White-flower. According to Gottfried, Rivalin then aids Mark in fighting off an invader, but is severely wounded in the battle. The Norse account has Rivalin wounded in a tournament. White-flower, aided by her nurse or foster-mother, is secretly brought to the wounded Rivalin and they declare their love. Tristan is begotten. Then word comes from Ermonie that Duke Morgan has renewed the war. Rivalin returns to Ermonie, taking, unknown to King Mark, the pregnant White-flower with him. The two marry in haste. Then Rivalin goes off to lead his followers in the war against Duke Morgan. Rivalin is slain in a battle. White-flower, being told her husband is dead, immediately goes into labor. After four days of painful struggles, White-flower gives birth to her son and dies. Rual the Faithful secretly takes the child as his own, and has him Christened with the name Tristan. Kalegras in the Icelandic Saga af Tristram ok Ísodd The Icelandic Saga af Tristram ok Ísodd is a 14th century Icelandic version, based mostly, it seems, on the Old Norse Tristrams Saga ok Ísöndar. In this account, the person to become Tristan’s father is Kalegras son of Patrócles, a young knight of Spain. Hlöðvir, King of Spain, takes father and son with him to a tournament held by King Mórodd of England. Mórodd corresponds to King Mark. In the tournament Kalegras jousts against a knight named Plegrus who had formerly been the commander of the army of Blenziblý, King Mórodd’s sister, when she had fought against her brother for the crown. Kalegras kills Plegrus. Blenziblý falls in love with Kalegras who comes to her tent at her invitation. They sleep together and the following day continue to be totally in love with one another. She seems to be an independant lady mostly outside of any control by her brother King Mórodd. When Hlöðvir and Patrócles return to Spain, Kalegras stays with Blenziblý. Returning to Spain, Hlöðvir and Patrócles find that their country has mostly been conquered by King Elemmie of Holmgarth and Elemmie’s brother Seran. King Elemmie slays King Hlöðvir in a battle. Patrócles is made commander in King Hlöðvir’s place. In a second battle, Patrócles slays King Elemmie and drives of Seran, but Patrócles also dies. When news of Patrócles’ death reaches his son Kalegras in England, Kalegras sets out for Spain with a small company of men in a ship provided by Blenziblý. The Spaniards choose him as their new commander, for Sera has returned to continue the war, along with Seran’s brother Dextrus. But in the first battle between the two forces, Kalegras is mortally wounded. Kalegras sends one of his knights named Valltari to fetch Blenziblý from England. Blenziblý comes at once with a young son name Tristram who was born to her in spring. Kalegras and Blenzblý meet with great joy, despite Kalegras’ mortal wounds. Kalegras dies three days after and Blenziblý dies of sorrow a few days after that. A man named Biring, who had been Kalegras’ foster-father, takes charge of the infant Tristram. Meliadus in the Arthurian Prose Romances ''Prose Tristan'' According to the Prose Tristan, soon after being crowned, King Mark of Cornwall had negotiated a marriage between Mark’s eldest sister Elyabel and King Meliadus of Leonois. Meliadus and Elyabel are married for a long time before at last Elyabel becomes pregnant. One day, when King Meliadus is out hunting, a damsel who is very much in love with the king meets him alone and tells him that if Meliadus is brave enough to follow her, she will lead him to a remarkable adventure. Meliadus follows her to her castle and the damsel there, by enchantment, takes away Meliadus’ memory so that Meliadus can remember nothing except the damsel in front of him. Despite much searching, Meliadus’ folk are unable to find a trace of their missing lord. Finally, in desperation, Elyabel, with a only one of her maidens, sets out to look for her missing husband. Elyabel meets a man in the forest whom she takes to be a forester and who tells her that Meliadus is well but that Elyabel will never see Meliadus again. Unknown to Elaybel, the supposed forester is actually Merlin. Elyabel’s distress is such that she begins to go into labor, there in the wild. Elyabel endures the pain of childbirth all day and all night, with only her maiden to aid her, until at last Elyabel gives birth to a son. Elyabel knows that this birth has brought about her death. Because of Elyabel’s own sadness and the sadness of her son’s birth, Elyabel names the son Tristan, triste meaning ‘sad’. Then Elyabel dies. Two knights of Meliadus’ kin come across Elyabel’s body and her son and the maiden and plot to kill the infant boy. The maiden persuades them to give the boy to her and promises to say nothing. The knights bring Elyabel’s body back to the city of Albine. Their treachery is suspected. Then Merlin appears. Merlin accuses the two knights. Merlin tells the people that they will find Meliadus at the Rock of the Cornishwoman and that they should force the enchantress who lives there to break the spell that binds Meliadus, and then they should kill the enchantress. Merlin says that he will entrust Meliadus’ son to Governal, a squire from Gaul. Merlin takes Governal to the maiden who has the newborn child. The maiden has already had the boy Christened with the name Tristan. Merlin has the maiden bring the child to Albine where King Meliadus is already restored in mind. Merlin refuses to reveal to Meliadus who he, Merlin, is. Merlin prophesies a great future of the child and asks that the child be entrusted to Governal. This is done. After a long time, Meliadus remarries, taking a daughter of a king named Howel of Little Britain as his wife. Whether this king is the same King Howel of Little Britain who was later the father of Yseult White-hands, or whether this king is King Aramont of Little Britain who was also called Howel, the story does not say. Meliadus fathers a son on hia new wife and she becomes jealous of young Tristan. She attempts to poison him, but by mischance her own son takes the poison and dies. She tries again, when Tristan is about eight years old, but this time it is King Meliadus who, by chance, almost drinks the poison, save that the queen stops Meliadus when she sees him about to drink it. Meliadus is suspicious and threatens to make the Queen drink the poisoned mixture instead, at which point the queen confesses. The queen is sentenced to die. But Tristan asks a boon from his father which Meliadus grants. Tristan reveals that he is asking that the queen’s life be spared. Meliadus unwillingly grants the request. Not long after Meliadus, with his entourage, including Governal and Tristan, is hunting, unarmed. Two armed knights appear and declare that they know through prophecy that the kin of the two knights will be shamed and dishonored by Meliadus or someone of his lineage and that because of this they will kill Meliadus to prevent this from happening. They kill Meliadus with their swords before any of his men can come to his aid and are then killed themselves by Meliadus’ men. The men were vassals of the Count of Norholt in Cornwall. A Cornish prophetess had foreseen that the heirs of Norholt would die either by Meliadus or by a man of Meliadus’ lineage. The tale tells that later Tristan slew the Count of Norholt with his own hand, destroyed all the Count’s lineage, and had the city of Norholt completely destroyed. No such deed is later reported in the Prose Tristan. The Palamedes The romance known as the Palamedes, although it tells almost nothing of Palamedes, tells so much of Meliadus in its first half, that this part of the romance is often known as the Meliadus. The romance must be imagined to occur sometime after the birth of Tristan and before Meliadus’ marriage to King Howel’s daughter. Meliadus wanders through Logres as an errant knight and achieves wonders. Meliadus has a love affair with the Queen of Scotland. When the King of Scotland is unnamed throughout this romance but can be identified with Angusel. The King of Scotland discovers the affair. Meliadus and his lady love flee from Scotland to Leonois. The King of Scotland prepares to make war on Leonois. Meliadus has as allies King Pharamond of Gaul, King Claudas of the Deserted Land, and King Mark of Cornwall. The King of Scotland is allied with King Arthur and his allies, including the Morholt of Ireland, the Good Knight without Fear, King Pellinor, King Urien, and the kings of North Wales, Ireland, Wales, Northumberland, and the Red City. Meliadus would have been defeated if there had not come to his aid, Galeholt the Brown, Arioham the Saxon, and King Leodegan. Galeholt defeats all who oppose him. Peace is made. But Meliadus must return the Queen of Scotland to her husband. (According to the Prophecies of Merlin, the Queen of Scotland bears a son to Meliadus who is also named Meliadus who becomes the lover of Niniane, the Lady of the Lake.) According to another manuscript (see Löseth 446), Meliadus is defeated in this war and is placed in Arthur’s prison. Arthur orders the people of Leonois to recognize Meliadus’ young son Tristan as their lord. Arioham, with his Saxons, invades North Wales. Arthur, wounded, seeks aid from the Good Knight without Fear, who promises him aid if Arthur will free Meliadus. Arthur agrees, only asking that Meliadus swear to never again take arms against Arthur. The Good Knight without Fear and Meliadus fight wonderfully on Arthur’s side. Arioham, eventually, asks that the war be settled by a single combat. Meliadus is chosen to fight Arioham and Meliadus wins but spares Arioham’s life. After many banal adventures in which Meliadus and other knights rescue each other and are rescued many times, Meliadus returns to Leonois. Italian Arthurian Romances In Italian retellings based on the Prose Tristan, Meliadus is King Mark’s brother. Of Elyabel’s parentage, only the Tavolo Ritondo says anything. According to the Tavolo Ritondo, in the beginning of King Arthur’s reign, King Arthur, supported by King Ban, often made war against Meliadus and laid siege to the city of Leonois, because within Britain only Meliadus and Galehot would not become vassals of Arthur. But King Ban has to return to Benwick to fight a war of his own, in which King Ban dies. Thereupon Arthur holds off warring with Meliadus, until Ban’s son Lancelot has grown up and comes to court and performs many great deeds of knighthood. Urged by Guenevere, Arthur renews his war with Meliadus and again besieges Leonois. Meliadus summons his own allies: Galehot, the Duke of Bramante, the Morholt of Ireland, King Mark of Cornwall, the King of Scotland, the King with the Hundred Knights, and many others. Arthur, by the advice of Yvain, has reviewing stands set up in which the ladies of the court may watch the fighting to inspire his knights. Meliadus instead has all boys of noble birth in his kingdom under ten years old placed beside a river to watch the battle, declaring that if any of his knights begin losing, the son of that knight will be thrown into the river and drowned. The story continues based on the story of the war with Galehot in the Prose Lancelot. Meliadus, not mentioned in the Prose Lancelot, is Galehot’s lord in the Tavolo Ritonda. Lancelot calls Galeholt on his promise in the middle of battle and Galehot must therefore yield to Arthur. Galehot does so and Arthur so gains eighteen kingdoms. Meliadus still refuses to surrender through fear and cowardice, and will only serve Arthur if it is Meliadus’ own choice. Lancelot praises King Meliadus and asks Arthur to make peace. Arthur does so, declaring he prefers one who would serve him for love rather than being forced into service. King Arthur and King Meliadus exchange sword belts and crowns. King Arthur then asks King Meliadus to take as his wife Elyabel who is daughter of King Andremo the Old of Sobicio by King Arthur’s sister, Queen Felice, and also kinswoman to King Ban. Meliadus says that he has sworn to remain a virgin all is life, but that he will take a wife if it is King Arthur’s wish. Meliadus would like to see Elyabel before making his decision. Meliadus is pleased when he sees Elyabel. The two are married and King Arthur gives to Melyadus the kingdom of Sobicio. After telling of Elyabel’s death, the Tavolo Ritondo names Meliadus’ second wife as Queen Agaia, the daughter of Duke Bramo, brother of the good Duke Bramante. The son of Meliadus and Agaia is named Allegreno. On Agaia’s first attempt at poisoning Tristan, it is Meliadus who is almost poisoned. When Tristan asks that his stepmother’s life be spared, Agaia’s sentence is postponed for one hundred years. Agaia tries again and this time it is Allegreno who is accidentally given the poison and dies. Meliadus realizes that this was a plot by Agaia which has miscarried and he never speaks to Agaia again, nor does he ever again lie with her. Meliadus, as in the Prose Tristan is slain when hunting, but slain by twelve knights of his own kindred who were his mortal enemies, unjustly holding a castle. Meliadus’ men bury Meliadus in the great cathedral in the city named Saint Aloido. Later in the Tavola Ritonda, when Tristan and Governal are returning from Tristan’s first journey to Ireland (although Governal should not be with Tristan at that time), their ship, which should be going to Cornwall, is blown off course and lands in Leonois near the castle of Bridoa, which is the castle where those who slew Meliadus dwell. Then Tristan defeats the lords of the castle Bridoa, slays all its lords save for one who asks for mercy, and has it set on fire and burned to the ground. The Compilation of Rusticien of Pisa Löseth (§642) ends his summary of the compilation with incidents that he admits don’t fit with what has gone before. Meliadus, who has not been mentioned for a very long time, is said to have returned to Leonois, but Tristan is not there. In subsequent passages it appears that Tristan has long ago grown up and set about his adventures with the two Yseults. That Meliadus is not dead at this time, but still reigning in Leonois, suggests that the author of this section either knows almost nothing of the Tristan story, or that the author is imagining a continuity like the folk version of Eilhart von Orberge in which Tristan’s father dies later in the tale. Meliadus does not know where Tristan is, whether Tristan is in Cornwall or whether Tristan is in Logres with his wife. Meliadus set off in search of Guiron the Courteous and other older knights who have been imprisoned. At Malehaut, Meliadus learns that King Lac has been imprisoned by the Lady of Malehaut because Lac has killed her kinsman. Meliadus meets with King Pharamond and prevents him from taking a damsel from Malehaut. Meliadus and Pharamond persuade the Lady of Malehaut to free Lac. Then Meliadus and Lac set off together in search of Guiron. Arioham the Saxon joins with them in their quest to free the old knights from Marimonde. Finally the three companions arrive near Marimonde and learn that Tristan has conquered Marimonde and has already released the captives. Tristan and the former captives spend each day by a spring. The three companions approach the spring. Tristan will not let them pass, and least without a joust. Meliadus jousts first and knocks down Sarpedon, the Morholt(!), the Good Knight without Fear, Danain the Red, Guiron the Courteous, Palamedes, Lancelot, and Tristan. (Segurades has been accidently omitted from the knights defeated in the two manuscripts which tell this story.) Tristan follows after Meliadus to learn his name. Meliadus names himself and Tristan is overjoyed. Tristan sends his sailors back to Little Brtain under the command of the Knight of the Lodges and Sarpedon. The eleven remaining companions return to Malehot and pick up Pharamond who has recovered from his wounds. Then they all depart by ship to Little Britain to the Castle of the Rock where they enjoy the hospitality of King Howel, Tristan, and Yseult White-hands. At All-Saints, the twelve companions come to Camelot where Arthur has prepared a lavish feast. A mysterious damsel on a white mule appears and gives to Arthur a crown to bestow on the one who overthrew the ten knights. King Meliadus is crowned by Arthur. Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur Malory, as in the conclusion found in some versions of the Compilation of Rusticien of Pisa, has King Meliadus alive during Tristan’s early knightly career. At the end of Book VIII, chapter 2, King Meliadus, for reasons unexplained, will no longer allow his son Tristan to abide in court. In the following chapter King Meliadus appoints Governal (here first mentioned by Malory) as Tristan’s master and sends the two of them to France, whereas in at least most manuscripts of the Prose Tristan Governal was made Tristan’s master by Merlin’s advice soon after Tristan’s birth and Governal and the young Tristan flee to France after Meliadus’ death for fear of Tristan’s stepmother. After seven years in France learning knightly skills and hunting and harping, Governal and Tristan return to Leonois. But then Malory says that Tristan endured in Cornwall until he was eighteen years old. However Tristan is still in Leonois when the Morholt comes to gain tribute from Cornwall and discusses the matter with his father Meliadus, declaring that he wishes to ride to King Mark, be made knight by him, and then do battle with the Morholts in single combat. Meliadus gives his permission and never appears in the story again, mentioned later only casually as Tristan’s father with no indication as to whether Meliadus is alive or dead. Some Name Variations FRENCH: Meliadus, Melyadus; ENGLISH: Rouland; MALORY: Melyodas, Meliodas; GERMAN: Rivalin, Canelengres; NORSE: Kanelengres; ICELANDIC: Kalegras; ITALIAN: Meliadus; WELSH: Tallwch. Category:Knights Category:Male